Cow

While drawing the cow I noticed the nostrils, snout, and ears were very large in proportion to the head. I noticed an overall peanut shape to the head form with little horns in comparison to the bull/longhorn. When shading this drawing most the textures were lightly colored.

In summary to what is stated on What’s-Your-Sign.com, the cow is symbolic of Mother Earth, fertility, nurturing, and power. Being a female animal, the cow is a lunar symbol associating itself with feminine (yin) energies in Chinese culture and belief. It provides milk and meat. The Celts believe the cow is an earth symbol. I remember once I had an opportunity to view the internal digestive content of a cow. It was stringy, mushed up, wet grass. They eat the earth and in turn cows nurture people milk and meat.

The Egyptian Goddess Nut is sometimes depicted as a cow with four stars on the belly representing the four cosmic-quadrants of the earth. Hathor was another Egyptian deity and often called the Great Mother goddess of joy and nourisher of all things. Hathor was also seen as a protective goddess and an emblem of royalty. She personified the milk that flowed from the udders of a heavenly cow into what we call the Milky Way. I once experienced what it was like to milk a cow using simulated utters and it was fun at first but became hard work later. It takes time and effort and must have been difficult before the development of milking machines.

Three other examples of beliefs about the cow include Norse mythology, Vedic literature, and Buddhists or Hindu religion. The first giant Ymir in Norse mythology drank from one of the four rivers of power that provided nourishment during the time of the First World. The four rivers of power compare to the cow’s udder providing nourishment in the form of milk from four teats. Representing earth and sky the cow is a symbol of abundance in Vedic literature. To Buddhists or Hindu people the cow is a symbol of holiness and patience.

Symbolic meanings of the cow include: Patience, Nourishment, Abundance, Fertility, Female Power, Potential, Possibility, Calming, Grounding,, Provision, Beginnings, and Holiness.

Cheetah

The cheetah can run from speeds of 0-40 mph in a few seconds and can reach speeds up to 60 mph tops. When we have opportunities we should go for them because life is short. For example, when I found the pantry unlocked, I entered to find a piece of cake and I ate it much like a cheetah capturing a meal. Similarly a cheetah learns to hunt and build its speed and stamina over years. I remember as a child I liked to watch Scooby Doo and sketch the monsters. I thought to myself, these drawings look so shoddy and not professional. I wanted my drawings to improve so they could be sold. I kept drawing and later in high school I developed my 3D rendering skills. Following high school I wanted to sell my work but it was sentimental. When I realized the artwork could be reproduced, I was able to let the originals sell. By distributing prints of my work and having digital images to keep, I became aware of the opportunities to make a living as an artist. Now I have realized that I can create work with the intention of selling the original. If you see an opportunity take it because you may not get it again. Every opportunity is unique. The circumstances may not come again for years.

An elongated spine allows the cheetah to take large stride improving the ability to run long distances. It’s claws grip the soil pushing it forward with momentum.  This symbolizes that we are all built by higher power and designed for special purposes. A spine is our foundation. It is our bread and butter. A Cheetah’s spine gives it grace and speed. We all have our own special talents. It’s because of a cheetah’s large heart and lungs that it is able to take in great amounts of oxygen allowing it to run at great speeds. This is symbolic of proportion(s) for expansion. If you cannot open your heart you can not accomplish your goals. My goals are art and writing. My creative ideas in art often stem from dreams and life experiences. These give me inspiration to create my works that can inspire others.

The ancient Egyptians adored cheetahs and trained them to hunt. They believed the black spots on the Cheetah’s eyes are a reminder to grieve when losing something precious. We must fight the fight to keep moving on, just as the Cheetah does. The Cheetah is easily hidden from predators because of it’s amber fur and spots. A person might be compelled to blend in as if camouflaged. Sometimes you have to camouflage and sometimes you have to expose yourself so you can move forward. You don’t always have to be on the defense, you have to be on the offense sometimes. When I’m selling my work I have to be on the offense. I provide my patrons with friendly customer service to better their experience.

The cheetah is a day hunter and thus has black markings around the eyes to protect it from the blazing sunlight in the savannahs where it lives. These markings look like tears. Drawing the Cheetah was not like other cats, the skull is smaller and elongated. To achieve the spot effect I had to push the pencil tip to create a hazy smudging texture. Drawing the markings around the eyes gave the appearance of applying makeup.

Symbolic meanings of the cheetah include: Speed, Survival, Passion, Progress, Assertion, Evolution, Flexibility, Protection, Perception, Expression, Opportunity, and Adaptability

Cat {Domestic}

Myths about cats are present in many cultures. My experiences with cats is minimal. I think it’s interesting that cats always land on the their feet when they fall. Cats have soft fur on their head and I have nicknamed a friend Kitty because of this trait. I have learned that black cats are unlucky. They are an omen for bad luck like broken mirrors and walking under ladders. I don’t believe in that superstition. Once I followed a black cat and cornered it on accident and it hissed at me. Personal space is very important to cats. If you don’t give it to them they will let you know.

In some areas of the world cats are villainized, other times they are worshiped. Cats are seen on both sides of the spectrum as good or bad depending on where you live. Cats have shaped human imagination for ages. As a guardian of the underworld in Celtic cultures, the cat is silent and mysterious. The black cat was feared for many reasons. Because black cats were feared in Celtic lore, they were sacrificed. To people in the Western hemisphere black cats were associated with witchcraft. Black cats got this reputation from nightly pitfalls and were associated with transformation similar to the veil of night shifting our perception of reality.

Cats are unpredictable and have a very secretive wary nature. In European lore, cats were unsettling to some people. A superstition about cats begins and the relationship between two ideas. Once something is established and it spreads, a large population will take in the meaning. It is the same with felines. First the cat is seen as heinous, which causes other people to buy into the superstition. Since they are both misunderstood, this makes witches and cats go together well.

There are also many places in human history that worship the cat. In ancient Rome the cat was considered sacred to the goddess of the moon, Diana. Here the cat was considered a guardian of the homes and symbolized domestic goodness. In muslim lore, the cat is honored for saving Mohammed from a snake attack. It is believed the M marking on the forehead of many tabby cats is a mark that symbolizes the M for Mohammed. In Norse legend cats are associated with Freyja, the goddess of fertility, and thus the cat is thought of as a blessing to newborns. Cats were sacred to ancient Egyptians and were mummified along with mice for the cats to consume in the afterlife.

Symbolic meanings of the cat include: Astute, Clever, Selective, Secretive, Mysterious, Intuitive, Intelligent, Independent, Supernatural, Watchfulness.

Camel

The camel is known for its ability to transport large amounts of cargo across long distances in scorching hot conditions. A master at pilgrimage in current and ancient times, camels are used to carry luggage and people across the desert. Traits that humans can take away from the camel for good ways to live life are: persistence, determination, stubbornness, conservative, and focus. When I’m on the treadmill and feel tired, I keep going because health is important to me.

Similarly, in art you have to focus to see something through to the end. You never know how something is going to turn out until you get all the way through it. It’s a big journey of perseverance. Every piece of art is a journey in the career of an artist. An artist may be working on several works at once requiring great determination and focus.

The camel is capable of protecting us in both physical and spiritual journeys through life’s complex and harsh conditions. Sometimes in life, friends move. First one friend moves away, then another moves, and then another and pretty soon all of your friends have parted ways and moved onto another section of their journey. Life is a continuous journey in which you have to adapt to changes and fluctuations. My art helps me build a fanbase and meet customers which builds friendship and fellowship. I also can become involved in an artist community. Connections to people that I meet continues to be renewed through my art.

The fat cells of a camel’s humps are able to store hydrogen atoms which retain water, thus allowing the camel to use water when necessary. The camel is able to preserve its water supply and use the water when necessary spanning over large periods of time. In much the same way, it is important for us to pace ourselves and maintain energy levels during life. Everyone tends to get frustrated sometimes over small quandaries and it is important for us to remember to conserve our energy for when we need it most. If living in our memories, we need to remember to let things go and persist because there are always opportunities ahead of us.

Symbolic meanings of the camel include: Endurance, Transport, Survival, Conservation, Journeying, Adaptivity, Stamina

Bull

The bull is a powerful, determined, hardy animal. Because of it’s stubborn nature the term “bull headed” is often extracted from this animal. With its strong robust build and lean muscles, the bull produces meat products.

The bull was considered sacred in some cultures. As I learned in some of my Bible classes, the bull was used for atonement and blood sacrifice in ancient Egypt and to the Hebrews.  Bull skin was used to make glue using gluten taurinum in Latin America in earlier times.

The Celtic culture used the bull for reproductive enhancement purposes. Symbols of the bull were printed on textiles like pillow cases and sheets. They believed that it strengthened their endurance and sexual drive. The bull was a way of life for the Celts because it provided food, luxury, and wealth.

When you have a chart for the stock market you see a line that goes up and down. The bull’s style of attack goes upward like an uppercut in a diagonal motion. The direction of the upper cut is similar to the upward movement of the stock market showing that the value of the stock is improving. This is often referred to as a bull market. Here the bull is seen as a symbol of strength and confidence.

When drawing the bull, I noted the rigid structure of the horns.  The skull was broad with a powerful neck and the hornline produces a sturdy ridged tight feel. This is a rugged, powerful, durable animal.

Symbolic meanings of the bull include: Stability, Virility, Strength, Stamina, Provision, Confidence, Fertility, Helpfulness, and Determination.

Buffalo

The buffalo is a massive creature that implies many things as a totem. Its raw strength and mystical ways were particularly important to the Lakota people. he White Buffalo is considered very holy. When the White Buffalo comes into our lives (dreams, vision or even while hiking) it is a sign of promise, informing us that great prosperity is soon to come.In Native American Indian legend the Buffalo is associated with smoke/tobacco/the pipe, which firms up its status as a sacred animal. As the legend goes, the White Buffalo Calf Woman illustrates, in magical ways, that all things are entwined. She reminded us of the gravity of being human, and how our presence impacts and influences everything else. With this kind of power, comes great responsibility,It reminds us we are always provisioned and our attitude towards abundance influences the rest of this planet. These are the questions the buffalo asks us..
Are you grateful?
Do you respect what has been given?
Are you ignoring the abundance around you?
Do you squander the bounty?
Do you hunt down resources rather that trust your coffers are always stocked?

Are you missing the opportunity to recognize true blessings?In short, when the buffalo appears to us, it is perhaps time to think about how well we are using our time and recourses. We have only one earth, so lets make it last.

Symbolic meanings of the buffalo include: Provision, Gratitude, Abundance, Consistency, Strength, Stability, Blessing, and Prosperity.T